xlvi 



THE QUINARY SYSTEM. 



in their regular succession, an analogy with the corresponding 

 groups or orders of the contiguous classes of Zoology."* Lin- 

 naeus himself, however, expressly records these very analogies 

 claimed to be newly discovered. 64 Accipitres," says he, " ana- 

 logous to the Ferse ; Picse, analogous to the Primates ; Anseres, 

 analogous to the Belluse ; Grallse, analogous to the Bruta. Gal- 

 linse, analogous to the Pecora; Passeres, analogous to the Glires."f 

 It is worthy of remark, that when Dr. Virey shows that he had 

 published similar views in 18034 Mr. MacLeay not only as 

 usual accuses him of not understanding the subject, but even 

 compromises his own claim to the alleged discovery, by taking 

 refuge, as may be seen in a preceding extract, in the indefinite 

 term nature. § 



I have above briefly stated some of my objections to what 

 is called affinity, and shall now come to analogy. In some 

 points of view analogy is exceedingly valuable as a logical in- 

 strument of investigation, of which we have a most beautiful 

 example in the remark of Origen, that " he who expects the 

 scripture to have come from the Author of Nature, may well 

 expect to find the same sort of difficulties in it as are found 

 in Nature itself," || so admirably developed by Bishop Butler in 

 his 44 Analogy of Religion." But analogy is perhaps more liable 

 to be abused than any other means of investigation, and in 

 no department of human inquiry has the abuse of analogy oc- 

 curred more glaringly than in some late speculations in natural 

 history. It was remarked by Aristotle, and repeated by 

 Willis, ## with regard to crabs and lobsters, that instead of the 

 flesh covering the bones, the bones cover the flesh. Baron 

 De Geer applied this fancy to insects ; f f and M. de Blainville 



* Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 399. 



f Kerr's Linnaeus, p. 416. " Accipitres, Analogi Feris; Picae, Analogae Pri- 

 matibus ; Anseres, Analogi Belluis ; Grallae, Analogae Brutis ; Gallinae, Analogae 

 Pecoribus; Passeres, Analogi Gliribus." Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. edit. 12th. 



% Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles, for 1825 ; and Nouv. Diet. D'Hist. Nat. 

 Art. Animal, J st. edit. 



§ Zool. Journ. iv. p. 49. 

 || Xpn [iev rot ye tov 'dira£. ic. r. a. Origen, Philocal. p. 23, ed. Cantab. 

 If Tlepi Zwwv Iffropias, A. De Anima Brutorum, p. 11, edit. 1692. 



ft Memoires des lnsectes,ii. 2, ed. 1771. 



